I took this picture last year while
hiking at Torres del Paine Ntional Park in southern Chile. It’s an Andean Condor. This bird has the 4th longest
wingspan of all birds…of which there are over 10,000 species. Its wingspan approaches 11 feet, or 3.4
meters (340 cm). Do you know what
species has the longest wingspan?

I was approached earlier this year by
Karrie Noterman, the owner of Natural Inspirations Parrot Cages. She wanted to see if I would be interested in
collecting data on the wingspan of as many of the commonly kept psittacine
birds as possible. The intent was to
publish this information, which would help bird owners choose an appropriate
sized cage or enclosure for their pet bird.

I have the advantage that all of my
examinations are preformed while the bird is sedated with isoflurane gas
anesthesia. In addition I see many, many
birds. Over the course of 4 months, I
measured the wingspan of 456 birds representing 94 species. Ten individuals were the maximum number of measurements
for any one type of bird. In many
instances this number is less because of the rarity of the species.

All measurements were taken on
anesthetized birds. The wings of each
bird were fully extended and the reading was taken from the tip of the longest
primary flight feather on each wing.
Only birds with intact primary flights were included in this study. Accuracy is within ½ inch total span.

*We often hear or read that the minimum
size (horizontal length) of a cage should be 1 ½ - 2 times the wingspan of the
parrot housed there. This is important
because a bird should be able to totally extend its wings (in the cage) and
flap them vigorously for exercise.
Remember, however, that the more perches, toys, food stations, etc.
placed in the cage, the less space is available for adequate wing exercise.

Larger cages and enclosures are better
than small ones. For birds that are out
of the cage most of the day, 1 ½ times the parrot’s full adult wingspan is the
minimum enclosure size. For those birds
that spend considerable time in their cages, 2 times the parrot’s full adult
wingspan is recommended. Ideally pet
birds should be encouraged to spend time out of their cage, not only for
exercise but for social interaction with humans and other birds. However, spending significant amounts of time
outside the cage does not justify smaller housing.

“For whatever length of time the bird is
caged, the animal should be allowed a certain freedom of movement within its
enclosure.” – Karrie Noterman

It is unfortunate, but most people house
their birds in cages that are too small.
Some people simply can’t afford a large cage or they don’t have enough
room. Others may rationalize that a
small cage is a place of refuge and safety for their bird.

In the wild, parrots find security from
threatening situations by flying away or moving to the top of nearby
trees. In captivity, birds will also try
to move up and away when scared.
Unrestrained pets will try to get to one’s shoulder or head or fly up on
curtain rods, ceiling beams, etc. Caged
birds will move to the furthest part of the enclosure and/or fly panicky back
and forth looking for a way of escape.
Small cages do not provide security.
Studies have shown that when presented with larger enclosures, even
though the birds may be fearful at first, they eventually acclimate and prefer
the addition of added space.

Cockatiels
in the Australian outback seeking refuge at the top of a tree

Regrettably, many birds live for years in the
deprived environment of a small cage.
They may become fearful and phobic; some may not even venture out of
their cage, even if it’s left open. It can be a sad, depressing life for these
birds and we wonder why they develop abnormal behaviors such as feather
picking, screaming, and biting.

“In
my opinion it is cruel and inhumane to keep birds, as highly intelligent and
energetic as parrots, in cages that are so small that they cannot fully spread
their wings”. – Scott McDonald, DVM

So what is the wingspan of parrots? They are listed below in the designated categories. Wingspan values listed are an average of all
the birds sampled for each species. In
general, the more a bird weighs, the longer the wingspan

51 inches Longest individual wingspan (Hyacinth Macaw)

9.50 inches Shortest
individual wingspan (Parrotlet)

The large macaws have the largest
wingspan of all parrots. Interestingly,
all the largest species have about the same wingspan (within 3 inches). A few hybrids are included.

Note:
The enclosure sizes listed below for each species are readily available
cage sizes based on 1.5 and 2 times the parrot’s full adult wingspan
dimensions. If you think the cage sizes
shown are too small, great, so do we.
Provide them larger ones! The
cage sizes for the small parrots seem very small. Remember that the ratio of space given to a
budgie for 1.5 times his wingspan is the same amount of space provided to a
macaw in an enclosure 1.5 times their wingspan, even though the macaw cage
seems enormous and the budgie cage seems tiny.
The goal of this paper is to give parrot owners accurate data and
appropriate perspective!

The recommended cage sizes listed in the
right hand column are examples of cages at least “one wingspan” deep by “one
and a half or two wingspans” long.

The
following cage size references are just a few of the many we found
echoing our minimum cage size requirements.
These recommendations were directly quoted from public websites, printed
books, downloads available for free to the public, and in store literature
available for free. In other words,
openly advertised information intended for the general public, as of Dec 2015. These are the recommendations of the largest
pet stores, rescue organizations, veterinary colleges, avian authorities, and
popular websites in the country. The
vote is in – 1½ to 2x’s is the minimum size enclosure required for your
pet bird, with many recommending 3 or 4 times their wingspan or with room for flight. So now it’s your turn! Measure your bird’s cage, then find their
wingspan and cage size minimums in the chart above. How do they measure up?

Purdue University,
College of Veterinary Medicine:

"When purchasing a
bird, consider its wingspan; the cage you house the bird in should be at
least twice the bird’s wingspan in width, length, and depth."

avianwelfare org:

"Cages for
singly-housed larger birds should be at least one and a half times

the birds’ natural
wing span in all directions. Ideally all birds should have cages/aviaries
large enough to accommodate flight."

Animal World:

"The ideal size of
any bird cage should be equal to at least 3 flight wingspans of the bird."

Natural Inspirations
Parrot Cages:

"Birds that spend
any significant amount of time in their enclosures, we absolutely recommend
twice your parrots adult wingspan. Those that use their cages for
sleeping only or are out the vast majority of every day, a minimum cage size of
1.5 times the length of their wingspan can be acceptable. Spending
significant amounts of time outside the cage does not justify smaller than
wingspan housing. For whatever length of time a parrot is caged, the animal
should be allowed a certain freedom of movement within its enclosure."

The Gabriel
Foundation:

"Minimum cage
sizes: Parrot species need a minimum of 2-3 x the wingspan in width and
depth"

"A cage at least twice the bird's wingspan
and twice the bird's height from top of head to tip of tail with metal bars
spaced close enough to prevent injury makes a good home for your small
hookbill; as with all animals, it is best to provide the largest habitat
possible; a flight cage is strongly recommended."

Pet Solutions.com:

"When it comes to
choosing the size of a bird cage, the rule of thumb is to buy a cage that is
four times the height of a pet bird, as well as four times as wide. It's not a
bad idea, however, to keep in mind that the bigger the cage, the better."

Pet education.com:

"Cage Size for
medium to large size birds, the cage living area (does not include space
between floor grate and tray floor) should be a minimum of 1-1/2 times your
bird’s adult wingspan in width, depth, and height. This allows comfortable
movement and may reduce the risk of feather damage. For smaller birds, a cage
should provide the room needed for flying."

Book: The Ultimate
Guide to Parrots:

"Take the wingspan and multiply by three. This
gives you an idea of the smallest depth the cage should be. Now multiply by 2.5 the wingspan for the
minimum width of the cage.”

Petsmart:

"Cage Size &
Shape

Birds use the width of
their cage more than they use the height, and the cage should be twice the
width of the bird’s wingspan.”

Bird Cage Portal and
Kings Cages have the exact same recommendation on their websites:

"At the very
minimum the width of the cage should be 1-1/2 times as wide as your bird's
wingspan. When selecting your bird cages
keep in mind that essential perches, toys and other fun bird-safe accessories
quickly fill a cage. So you'll do your
feathered friend a favor by providing him a comfortably large living area that
will accommodate all the essential items that make his house an enjoyable
"home" in which to spend his time."

Book: A Parrot Breeders Answer Book:

"As a rule of thumb, a cage for a single pet
parrot should be at least one and a half times the width of the bird’s
wingspan. This is a minimum
recommendation. In most cases, bigger is
better.”

Wyld Wingdom:

"A general rule of
thumb is that for large birds, the interior living space of the cage should be
at least 1.5 times the bird’s adult wingspan – in depth, width and height.”

Centurion Cages:

“Parrot cages should be
housed in, at a minimum, an enclosure 1.5 times a birds wingspan in length if
they spend only a short amount of time in them.
Birds who spend hours at a time in their cages should have twice their
wingspan.”

.

Ebay Bird Cage Buying
Guide:

"No matter what
species the bird belongs to, though, the cage must be big enough to allow space
for walking, climbing, and flying. A good cage, even for a small bird, is much
bigger than what most people picture when they think of a bird cage. Exactly
how big is big enough varies depending on which expert makes the
recommendation, but a width three times as wide as the bird’s wingspan is a
good place to start. This means a budgie with a 10-inch wingspan needs a cage
almost 3 feet wide on its shortest side.”

Impulse Parrots Pet
Store:

"As a rule, we at Impulse Parrots like to
recommend that your bird’s cage needs to be at least 2-3 times the width of
your birds wing span. This way the bird
cage will be plenty large enough for your bird to flap its wings and get plenty
of exercise as well as having room for all your bird’s toys.